BackComet will be visible to naked eye for the first time in 50,000 years
The comet is called C/2022 E3 (ZTF) after the Zwicky Transient Facility, which first spotted it passing Jupiter in March last year.
PremiumAstronomers have said that a newly discovered comet could be visible to the naked eye as it shoots past Earth and the Sun in the coming weeks for the first time in 50,000 years, according to the news agency AFP.
The comet is called C/2022 E3 (ZTF) after the Zwicky Transient Facility, which first spotted it passing Jupiter in March last year. It will then come closest to the Sun on January 12 and pass nearest to Earth on February 1.
It will be easy to spot the comet with a good pair of binoculars and likely even with the naked eye, provided the sky is not too illuminated by city lights or the Moon.
Speaking to AFP, Thomas Prince, a physics professor at the California Institute of Technology who works at the Zwicky Transient Facility said, “The comet will be brightest when it is closest to the Earth."
Nicolas Biver, an astrophysicist at the Paris Observatory said, “The comet is estimated to have a diameter of around a kilometre, which will be made of ice and dust, emitting a greenish aura."
The last comet NEOWISE was visible with an unaided eye, which passed Earth in March 2020, and Hale-Bopp, which swept by in 1997 with a potentially life-ending diameter of around 60 kilometres, as per AFP reports.
However, the newest visit will come closer to Earth, which may make up for the fact that it is not very big, Biver said.
The comet will be brightest as it passes Earth in early February, while for the Northern Hemisphere, Biver suggested the last week of January, when the comet passes between the Ursa Minor and Ursa Major constellations.
The new moon during the weekend of January 21-22 offers a good chance for stargazers, he said, adding that, “We could also get a nice surprise and the object could be twice as bright as expected."
(With AFP inputs)
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
